Coretta Scott King Classic: Betts shines in #1 UCLA's win over #25 Baylor, #7 Texas Dominates #8 Maryland

No Cap Space's Rashard Hall had boots on the ground at the Coretta Scott King Classic, what were his takeaways from each team?

The first ever Coretta Scott King Classic featured two ranked matchups with #1 UCLA picking up a 72-57 win over #25 Baylor and #7 Texas dominating #8 Maryland 89-51.

Our Rashard Hall had boots on the ground for both games and shares his takeaways from each team, plus each team’s postgame press conference to hear from them directly.

UCLA

The Bruins delivered another dominant performance, fueled by Gabriela Jaquez’s gritty play that head coach Cori Close praised in the post-game press conference. Jaquez finished with 11 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, providing the spark UCLA needed. Meanwhile, Lauren Betts continued her impressive run, posting 24 points, 9 rebounds, and a career-high 9 blocks. Despite some sloppy moments, the Bruins’ maturity and lessons learned over the past two seasons shone through, ultimately overpowering Baylor.

Baylor

The Lady Bears showed determination and resilience but ran out of steam in the fourth quarter. Their plan to contain Lauren Betts fell short, as she proved unstoppable throughout the game. Adding to their challenges, starting center Aaronette Vonleh got into early foul trouble, disrupting their rhythm. With plenty to figure out moving forward, Baylor will have an opportunity to bounce back and prove their worth as a top team when they face a strong TCU squad next Sunday.

Texas

The Longhorns wasted no time asserting their dominance, maintaining control from start to finish. Texas showcased clear advantages over Maryland with their depth, solid post play, and standout performances. Madison Booker was phenomenal yet again, building on her strong showing against Auburn and shaking off her struggles from the South Carolina game. Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre also made an impact, giving Maryland’s defense plenty to handle in the paint.

Maryland

Maryland’s talent is undeniable, with four wins over AP Top 25 teams this season. However, they struggled to show up against Texas, appearing unprepared for the challenge. This same team nearly upset Southern California just weeks ago, but their inexperience in critical moments continues to show. Losing Bri McDaniel for the season and an injury scare to Shyanne Sellers only adds to their challenges. To move forward, Maryland must solidify their identity, determine their go-to scorers, and ensure every player embraces their role. When locked in, they can compete with the best, but as this game demonstrated, lapses against elite teams come at a high cost.